


Battle Symphony

by Amateur_Sketch



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, F/M, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Multi, Native American Character(s), Native American/First Nations Culture, Past Abuse, Romance, Science Experiments
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-10 08:32:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12295347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amateur_Sketch/pseuds/Amateur_Sketch
Summary: Wherever they went, no matter how far, it always found them. After a year of running and hiding, two mutants realize that they can't keep going. They'll turn to Ninjara who guides them to the Turtles for protection. When they agree to take in the new mutants, they'll begin to wonder if they can take on this new threat or will if it'll be the end of them.As time passes, the mutants begin to relax and finally start to see the lair as their new home.





	1. Prologue/An Old Friend Returns

**Author's Note:**

> Reuploaded for the third time because I wasn't satisfied the last time. Mainly the 2003 universe with elements from other shows and comics. Mei Pieh Chi(Venus), Mona Lisa, and Ninjara's backstories have been changed. For some reason, the document tried to start new paragraphs in the middle of sentences. I tried to fix it so I'm sorry if I didn't catch all of them.
> 
> I'm not the best at writing fight scenes so any advice is welcomed. ^^'

It was said to be one of the worst snow storms to blow through the area in years, almost forcing the town to a standstill. Some residents found themselves barricaded in their own homes. Few cars were on the streets. Most of the area was without power or running water, but that mattered little to four young women who had been forced to live that way for almost a year. Although they had little warmth, they also found the storm to be a blessing. In a way, it made leaving their dilapidated cottage easier. Fewer people meant fewer eyes to spot them. They were already pushing their luck breaking into homes and stealing what they needed. One of the women didn't agree with what they were doing, but in the end, hunger took over her morals and she too began to take part.

Because one of the women was trained in stealth, among other things, she taught the others what she knew. It wasn't easy at first, but eventually, they all caught the hang of it. For the one called Juliet, Ninjutsu seemed to come easy for her.

She couldn't remember her previous life. All Juliet knew was that at some point, she was human, Native American, and someone had taught her kickboxing and a fighting style called Krav Maga. Whenever she tried to remember something from her previous life, a sharp pain shot through her head, but in her dreams, images of people and places flashed briefly. Every morning she awoke to a deep yearning for someplace far away from the town she was hiding in and every morning she forced the pain in her heart away. She didn't have time to feel sorry for herself when every moment of her life was a fight for survival.

Juliet tried to remember again one night, but as before her head throbbed with a sharp pain. Rubbing her temples seemed to help dull the ache a little. She scooted closer to the fire and place her icy hands close to it. Beside her, her "sister" Gwen slept on the dusty floor in a sleeping bag.

Gwen was younger than Juliet and much more sensitive and skittish. Her skin was a pale green(or mint as Gwen liked to say)compared to Juliet's reddish-brown, her hair was dirty blonde, small freckles dusted her face, and her eyes were a bright blue. Like Juliet, she couldn't remember her old life, but she said that something deep down was telling her not to. It must have been bad if Gwen's subconscious was warning her not to remember her old life. Gwen never felt headaches either and she had absolutely zero fighting skills until their friend had come along to rescue them.

Gwen was also the optimistic one. The one who believed that somehow they were going to make it through, but now Gwen was sick with a high fever and Juliet worried that she wasn't going to make it. She gently brushed a blonde strand from Gwen's face and swallowed down the painful lump in her throat. Shutting her eyes, she let out a heavy, ragged sigh.

"Miss Juliet?" a small, feminine voice said somewhere in the dark.

Juliet's eyes opened and she turned her head to the source of the voice. There, standing in the corner was a small wolf-fox cub. She smiled at the little one and beckoned for her to sit beside her.

"Moka, you know it's past your bedtime," Juliet said as the girl sat beside her.

"I know, but I'm worried about mother. She's been gone longer than normal," Moka whispered. "Is Miss Gwen going to be okay?"

Juliet pursed her lips together as she tried to find a way to gently explain to the child that their friend might not make it. "Little one, I have to be honest, she might not live to see a sunrise."

"Oh," the child replied softly. Juliet wrapped Moka in a blanket. "Are mother's friends nice?"

"I hope so," Juliet replied. "I've never met them, but she says that they'll go out of their way to help someone in need. She believes that they're the only ones who can help."

"Mother says that one of them was her boyfriend. Will he become my new father?"

Juliet laughed. "I'm not sure. Years have passed since then, so I don't know what will happen."  _All I know is that we can't keep going like this. Sooner or later, our luck will run out and it will find us._

At that moment, the door burst open, letting in the snow and chilled air. The silhouette of a tall fox stood before them, dressed in thick winter clothing. She shut the door and set a large burlap sack on the rickety kitchen table.

"Mom!" Moka happily cried as she rushed towards the vixen's outstretched arms.

"Why are you not asleep?" the vixen asked sternly.

"Don't be hard on the girl, Ninjara, she was worried about you," Juliet said,

"It's true!" added Moka.

Ninjara sighed and stood back up. She gave the child a pat on the head and sent her over to the busted couch. She opened the sack and pulled out an orange bottle filled halfway with little white pills.

"This medicine should work," Ninjara said as she tossed the bottle to Juliet. "If not, then I don't think anything will help her."

Juliet took a pill from the bottle and lifted Gwen's head. The pale one groaned and blinked open her eyes. Juliet whispered softly to her friend to take the pill. Too tired to argue, Gwen obeyed.

"Here's to hoping this works on turtles just as good as humans," Juliet said.

"I think you're more human than a turtle. Neither of you has shells. Strange," Ninjara commented.

Juliet ran her fingers through her black hair, making a mental note to wash it in the morning.

She let out a yawn and fetched the bedroll from the couch. Moka was already fast asleep. She gave the child a pat on the head before lying down at her sister's side. She bid Ninjara goodnight and placed an arm around Gwen. As she dozed off, she heard the Vixen's soft paw steps move around in the kitchen.

Ninjara watched as the female turtles slept beside the fireplace. Her mind drifted back to ten years ago. Back when she was young and thought love could tame someone's fiery heart. When she thought love was all she needed to feel at home, but as it turned out, the city was never a place she could call home, much less the sewers.

She wondered how much the Turtles had changed, mostly Raphael. Was he still as hot-headed as ever? Had the years softened him? What if her leaving had left him bitter or worse, he still loved her! Seeing him again filled her heart with excitement and nervousness all at once. She loved her husband deeply, but sometimes Raphael crossed her mind and she felt the guilt enter her heart, but she knew that she couldn't force herself to love him.

After placing another log in the old stove, she took her place at the table once more and sipped on her cup of hot tea.

_Raphael, please forgive me for what I did to you. I hope you found happiness and that the anger in your heart has dissolved, for you and your brothers are my only hope._

Somewhere in the woods, a creature called out into the night, sending a shiver down her spine. She had never been afraid of the forest. Spending her life entire surrounded by nature, she knew every animal noise and tracks they left behind, but after seeing and hearing that thing the day she escaped with Gwen and Juliet, she questioned every sound she heard. She rose from her seat and peaked out the busted window for any sign of it out there, watching them.

Nothing.

Feeling a little more at ease, she returned to the kitchen and finished off the rest of her tea. They would have to leave once the weather cleared or risk being caught.

* * *

**One month later…**

Mona Lisa lied in bed as she waited up for Raph and the others. It had become a routine for the last seven years. He went out with his brothers and she stayed behind working in the lab that she now shared with Donatello and Leatherhead. Even when she mad at him, she would always wait.

After an hour of tossing and turning, she gave up and left her room. She found Master Splinter on the couch, watching those soap operas he loved so much. Mona, on the other hand, thought they were cheesy, but the over the top acting kept her entertained. She sat beside the elderly rodent who offered her a cookie. She accepted and they watched the show in silence.

After the episode ended, Splinter turned to her and asked how she liked the show.

"Oh, um… it was… something," she replied.

"I agree. I'm still shocked Marie woke up from her coma," Splinter said.

Mona resisted the urge to roll her eyes and gave a nod. Another episode began, but this time she couldn't focus on it. Instead, her mind drifted to the fight she and Raph had before he left with his brothers.

All she tried to do was comfort him when was upset and what does he do? Snap at her for it! Well, she wasn't about to put up with that! He may be able to intimidate others, but Mona wasn't about back down from him. She shot back, calling him every name she could think of. Everyone downstairs could hear the fighting, making them all uncomfortable. After it was over, Raph stormed out of their room, slamming the door behind him, while she screamed into a pillow.

Now here she was, sitting on a busted couch next to an old rat, wondering what her life might have been like had she not been kidnapped and turned into a mutant lizard. Would she have become a famous scientist or given it all up to marry that boy? What was his name again? Oh well, it didn't matter now if she couldn't remember his name. He was years away from her now. What of her parents? They probably died of old age long ago and her little brother wasn't so little anymore.

She sighed and wrapped her long tail around herself as a form of comfort. It was a habit she picked up a long time ago.

The TV suddenly shut off. She snapped out of her thoughts and turned her attention to Splinter.

"Something wrong, Master Splinter?" she asked.

"I want to ask you the same," he replied.

"Why?"

"I see the trouble in your eyes. My son is what upsets you, isn't it?"

Mona hesitated before nodding.

"I will talk with him," Splinter said.

She shook her head. "No, please, don't trouble yourself. I can handle him," she said with a grin.

Splinter chuckled. "I have no doubt that you can, but he is my son and I feel that it is my responsibility to set him straight."

"Thank you, Splinter."

"But there is something else troubling you, isn't there?"

She hated when he could practically tell what she was thinking. Was it possible that he could sense the changes happening within her body? She surely hoped not. Not even she was one-hundred percent certain and she didn't know who talk to about it.

"No, that was all that's bothering me," she said as she stood up. "Thank you for talking with me." With that, she rose from the couch and told him goodnight.

As she was making her way to the rooms, she passed the training area where she found Mei practicing tai chi with her fans. She stopped and watched the cyan turtle move gracefully in a way that Mona found to be hypnotic. It reminded her of a flower in the wind. No wonder Leo liked to watch Mei when he thought no one else was looking.

She smiled to herself as she thought of Leo and Mei together. They would make a perfect couple; everyone thought so. It was only Leonardo who was oblivious to it. Mona had been planning on pairing the two together for a while, but couldn't figure out how. She thought about getting Mikey in on her plan or maybe April.

"I see you watching me, Mona Lisa," Mei said without losing focus.

"Sorry, it's just that, I love watching you practice. You're so graceful," Mona replied, feeling embarrassed.

Mei gave a shy smile at her compliment. "Thank you."

Mona had never been a fighter. She tried to practice with the boys, but she could never catch on as quickly as they did. She realized that she was better off working in the lab or studying the medical books she and Donnie found.

"Do you think that you can teach me tai chi? It looks so relaxing and with the way Raph's been acting lately…" she stopped, not wanting to go into details on her and Raph's relationship. Mona already knew that Mei wasn't the biggest fan of the red-clad turtle.

"My friend, I believe even tai chi has its limits," Mei answered.

Mona sighed and swished her tail. It was another strange habit of hers. Mikey told her she reminded him of Klunk when she did it.

"I guess I'll leave you to your training."

Mona walked into the kitchen and poked her head into the fridge. She had a strong craving for chocolate peanut butter cookies and ice cream. One of her favorite foods, but she never had a big craving for them before. Her hand rested on her stomach and she wondered…

_I guess I'll have to visit Leatherhead soon. Maybe he and Donnie can help me._

She shut the fridge, disappointed she was out of cookies. Mikey probably ate them again. She was going to have to have words with the goofball when he got back.

She grabbed a few apples and went into the lab for the notes she promised to bring Leatherhead. As she made her way through the tunnels, she felt a sudden wave of nausea wash over her.

* * *

They finally made it to New York City. After all this time, after all the traveling and forced to lay low in shitty buildings, they were here. Juliet felt a sliver of hope enter her heart for the first time in years. She looked to Gwen whose eyes were as wide as saucers. Moka looked up in awe at all the building around her.

Seeing the tall buildings stirred something inside of Juliet. A faint memory tugged at her heart, but when she tried to focus on it, the pain stabbed her head, forcing her to push the memory away. She would have to worry about her memories later, right now, they had to find the right street.

They stuck to the shadows as Ninjara had instructed. For Gwen, it was a bit difficult, but she was thankful Juliet was there to help guide her.

"We need to find the right manhole," Ninjara said as they came to an alley she swore she had been to before.

She looked around and sniffed the air. It was hard to tell if they were going in the right direction. Much had changed since she left all those years ago. She was beginning to doubt herself as she struggled to pick up the Turtles scents. Maybe they stopped coming to the surface world.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Gwen asked as she readjusted her scarf and hat.

"I'm sure," Ninjara replied.  _I don't know where we are._

"Why don't we just jump down a random manhole?" Juliet suggested.

"Because the wrong manhole could lead to our deaths. The sewers can be hard to navigate if you don't know what you're doing."

"I had no idea."

"Well, now you do. You must never wander the sewers without someone to guide you, is that understood?"

The two female turtles gave a nod. Juliet wasn't too keen on the idea of wandering the sewers anyway. She never liked the fact that they would have to live down there, but she didn't have a choice in the matter. It was the sewers or continue her life on the run and she was tired of running.

They continued down the street, dodging humans and traffic. Once they made it to a deserted street, Ninjara began to remember where they were. She smelled the air, picking up a familiar scent.

 _It's the Turtles!_  Ninjara thought. "Come on, there's an old garage somewhere around here that leads directly to the Turtles lair," Ninjara whispered.

"You mean we'll finally meet your friends?" Moka chirped.

Ninjara smiled at her daughter and tousled her hair. "That's right, kiddo."

They followed Ninjara to an old, abandoned garage. The Turtles had definitely been here, but where how was she going to get in? She walked around back where the door should have been, but it looked to have been removed at one point and patched over.

"What's a couple'a gals like yous doin' out here so late?" a gruff voice said.

All four of them spun around to the source of the voice. Six men holding bats and chains stepped out of the shadows and surrounded them. Ninjara's fur bristled and she let out a growl of irritation. They were so close and now they had to deal with these bastards.

She looked at her daughter and the turtles before giving a nod. She saw the hesitation in their eyes. They never used their skills in a real fight before, but she saw the eagerness on Moka's face. The only one she worried about was Gwen, who was still struggling to learn Ninjutsu.

"This is our turf," The largest man said.

"Like I care," Ninjara said cooly.

"Then we'll make you care. Boys, let's teach 'em a lesson!"

"You leave us no choice," Ninjara snarled.

Ninjara yanked off her cloak and drew her katana. Moka took out her bo-staff while Juliet and Gwen had to make do with the nearest objects.

The vixen was the first to strike. She kicked the bat out of the larger one's hands before slamming her fist into his nose. The blow stunned him long enough for Ninjara to drive her blade into his chest. Juliet grabbed a trash can lid and cracked it over one of the Dragon's head. Gwen found a large stick and went for the smallest one.

Moka went for one with a dragon tattooed on his face. He towered over her with a grin while cracking his knuckles. She leapt high enough to match his height and delivered a kick to his face. He cried out as Moka landed back on the ground. With her staff in hand, she stuck him in the groin, making him fold over like a pocket knife.

"Look, Mom, I'm beating up my first bad guy! Mom, are you watching?" Moka said.

"Yes, dear, I see! Very impressive!" Ninjara said over her shoulder as she disarmed one of the men.

Gwen dodged a punch from a man with a dragon tattoo on his torso. She tried to spin kick, but the man caught her ankle. She tried to break free from his grasp, but he was too strong for her. Holding her high, he squeezed her ankle until she whimpered. He swung her, throwing her into the side of the garage. When she tried to stand, she felt his boot collide with the side of her head. In the next moment, she felt his weight on top of her. She squirmed beneath him as he pressed his weight on her chest. His ragged, hot breath was on her neck.

"Now you'll see what happens to naughty girls who stay out after dark," he whispered in her ear. He pulled off her toboggan and her wavy blonde hair came tumbling out. "I love blondes," he hissed. He hooked a finger into her scarf and jerked it down, revealing the rest of her face. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open at the sight of her green skin. "Holy shit, you're one of those turtles!"

"Get off of her," Juliet shrieked as she delivered a kick to the man's head.

The blow sent him sailing six feet from Gwen. He pulled a gun and fire a round, Juliet lunged forward and disarmed him, taking the gun for her own. Gwen watched in horror as the brown-skinned turtle emptied three rounds into the man's chest.

"I didn't know you could use a gun!" Gwen said in shock.

Juliet looked down at the Glock in her hand in amazement. The weight felt familiar as she held it.

"Neither did I."

One by the one the rest of men fell at their feet. Four were unconscious and two were now dead.

"I'd say  _that_  is a victory!" Juliet said as she placed the gun in the waistband of her baggy jeans.

"I wouldn't call it a victory just yet," Ninjara said.

More men emerged from their hiding places. Gwen swallowed nervously as she moved closer to Juliet while Ninjara stepped in front of Moka.

"Who are these guys?" Juliet whispered

"They must be the Purple Dragons. Look at their tattoos," Ninjara pointed out.

"Purple Dragons? What do they want with us?" Gwen asked.

"I think I have an idea and it might involve our friends. Now, remember, there is no shame in retreating if things become overwhelming."

The Purple Dragons had surrounded them. Juliet counted at least sixteen, but there could have been more waiting. Ninjara gave the signal and the women sprang into action.

* * *

The Purple Dragon at Michelangelo's feet groaned in agony as he rolled to his side. Another night, another fight. It was tough, but there was nothing the Battle Nexus Champion couldn't handle.

Mikey put away his nunchucks and turned to his brothers who were dragging the rest of the Dragons into a pile for the police. Grabbing his defeated opponent by the ankles, he pulled him over to the others.

"Why do we botha keepin' 'em alive?" Raphael said. "It ain't like no one's gonna miss 'em."

Leo turned to face his hot-headed brother. "Because, Raph, killing isn't our way. You know that and if I remember correctly, you agreed to it, saying that it wasn't our place to take a life."

"Yeah, true, but we keep kickin' their asses and they keep comin' back. It feels like it never ends," Raph replied.

"I thought you loved a good fight, bro," Mikey said.

"I do, but I also get bored beatin' on the same goons," Raph rolled one of them over and pointed at him with his sai. "Look at this guy. I swear, I've seen him before."

"Some people never learn their lesson," Donatello said. "But they still deserve a chance at life, just like everyone else."

Raph grumbled something Mikey couldn't understand and sheathe his sais. Leo ordered them into the Battle Shell and they followed his command as usual. Raph, on the other hand, took his bike hidden across the street. Deep down, Raph knew his brothers were right and when he thought about it, he wasn't sure he had it in him to take a life.

Mikey sat in the back as always. He looked out the window and watched the buildings go by. His thoughts were not on their fight, but on the latest chapter, he was working on. He discovered a website dedicated to posting original writing. With help from April, he uploaded the first five chapters of his story and it quickly became popular. Most reviews were positive and he received some that gave him constructive criticism, while others were less than nice, but April assured him that it came with the territory of writing.

No one else knew that he was working on a book. They would all laugh at him like they did his comic ideas. Well, maybe not Splinter, but his brothers were another story. They wouldn't believe him. He was, after all, a knucklehead to them. It never bothered him before, until recently.

He turned his attention away from the window and to his older brother. The blue-clad turtle was wiping down his katanas all the while brooding.

"Hey, bro, why so serious?" Michelangelo asked.

Leo's eyes drifted from his blade to his brother. "What are you going on about?"

"I mean, you look agitated."

Leo gave an exasperated sigh. "Mei didn't join us again. This is the third time in a row and I'm starting to worry."

Mikey gave a sly grin. "You like her, don't you, Leo? I've caught you watching Venus when you think no one else is looking."

" _Mikey,_ knock it off," Leo warned. "And her name is Mei. She doesn't like going by that other name."

The orange-clad turtle laughed at his brother and continued to tease him. "I always figured you two would hit it off. She seems like your type."

Leo glared. "Shut. Up. I don't like her in that way. She's more like a sister to me."

"I think Leo's turning red!"

Donatello suddenly slammed on the brakes, sending Mikey forward and hitting the back of the passenger seat.

"Well that's one way to shut him up," Leo said.

"Uh… guys, we got trouble at the garage!" Donnie said, pointing at the windshield.

Leo and Mikey moved to the front of the truck for a better look. Purple Dragons surrounded the garage, fighting three adults and a child. Raph had arrived first, dismounting off his bike, and charging head-on into the action. Leo swore under his breath and turned to exit out of the back of the vehicle with Don and Mikey not far behind him.

"This doesn't look like a fair fight," Leo commented.

"So let's even the odds," Mikey added as they took out their weapons.

Mikey took on the one with red and green hair while his brothers followed Raphael. He snuck up behind the Purple Dragon and tapped him on the should. The man spun around and was met with a nunchuck to the face.

"You just crossed the Battle Nex-"

"Don't you even say it, Mikey!" Raph called out as he disarmed a man with a shaved head.

Mikey grinned. "Still a sore loser, even after all these years."

"If you don't shut up, I'll…"

Raph's voice trailed when he spotted her among the fighting. After all this time, it couldn't be, could it? But there wasn't any mistake, it was her. He'd recognized that burgundy fur anywhere and fighting at her side was a cub who looked similar to her. The child was most likely her daughter.

She knocked one of her opponents to the ground and pinned him down. Her katana was raised high, ready to pierce the man's chest. Raphael rushed forward to stop her.

"Ninjara, don't!"

Her blade came down and struck his sais. Her eyes widened in surprise at the Turtle before her. Her heart fluttered in her chest at the sight of him. He was certainly not a teenager anymore. He stood taller and his muscles were much larger.

"Raphael, what are you doing?" she asked as she withdrew her blade.

Beneath them, the Purple Dragon member wiggled free and ran down the street. Ninjara snarled in frustration and ran for him. Raph reached out and grabbed her arm. She spun around to face him, her eyes burning with anger and teeth bared.

"Why did you stop me? Now he's getting away!"

"Because killin' isn't like you, at least it used to not be," Raph pointed out.

"If you saw half the things I have, you wouldn't be judging me right now!" She growled.

Raph opened his mouth to reply but shut it. Now wasn't the time to argue. He turned away from her and went to Donatello's side.

It wasn't long before the Purple Dragons retreated. Some were unconscious and others dead. Raph knew exactly who was responsible for the dead ones. He sheathed his weapons before storming over to Ninjara who finished wiping the blood off her blade.

"What were you thinkin'?" he demanded.

"I was thinking there would be one less scumbag on the streets," she said coolly.

"You were gonna murder him!"

Ninjara rolled her eyes and put her sword away. "Nice to see you, too, Raphael."

"Ninjara, is it really you?" Donatello asked.

She smiled at the purple masked turtle. "It is."

She looked over Raph's shoulder and spied Michelangelo and Leonardo swiftly approaching them.

"Wow, long time; no see," Mikey said.

"Likewise," Ninjara said. She looked at Leonardo. "Hello, Leonardo. Still the 'fearless leader' I see?"

Leo gave a nod. "I suppose so," he looked at the bodies not far from her. "What happened here?"

Ninjara rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly feeling guilty for the way she handled the situation. She pushed the feeling away, knowing that these deaths were justified. "I guess you could say we got a little carried away."

"I hope you fully understand that there are consequences to your actions," Leo said, glaring.

She crossed her arms and lashed her tail. "I am fully aware of my demons."

Leo sighed and decided to drop the subject for the time being. "So what brings you here?"

She pointed toward the garage where two young women dressed in baggy clothes and thick coats stood. Their faces were hidden behind scarfs and toboggan hats. "Because they need your help. Come here you two."

The women stepped forward and pulled down their scarves, revealing their faces. One of them was pale green with blonde hair and the other was cinnamon with black hair. The blonde seemed to be hiding behind the darker one.

"I'm Juliet," the one with black hair said. She took the hand of the blonde. "And this is Gwen. We need help."

"And I am Moka!" the child squeaked.

They looked down at the small fox hybrid standing proudly beside her mother.

"This is my daughter," the vixen said patting her cub on the head.

"Nice to meet you," Leo greeted the cub. He turned to the reptilian women. "But back to the matter at hand. Um… where did you two come from?"

"We'll explain soon," Juliet said, trying to mask her fear.

"Wow, more mutants and they're girls!" Mikey said excitedly. Michelangelo bounded over to Juliet and Gwen and stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Michelangelo! I'm the good looking one of the bunch."

Gwen tried to speak but all she could manage was a squeak. Feeling the heat rise in her face, she ducked behind Juliet. The brown-skinned turtle hesitated for a moment, but then extended her gloved hand to his. Her small hand practically disappeared into his larger one and she was amazed by its size.

"As I said before, I'm Juliet." She gave a tiny smile. "Sorry, Gwen's a bit shy."

He gave a nod, but couldn't find the words to speak. For the first time, he had nothing to say. He held her hand longer than he should have, but she wasn't exactly pulling away either.

Leo cleared his throat. "Come on, we'll take all of you to see Master Splinter," Leo said.

Reluctantly, Mikey let go of her hand. 

Juliet and Gwen followed the Turtles to a nearby manhole cover. As they climbed down, Juliet's side began to burn and a copper taste overwhelmed her mouth. It was a strange sensation that was getting worse. Panic began to rise inside of her as she started to feel lightheaded. Halfway down the ladder, she lost her grip as everything went dark.


	2. Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean for this chapter to take so long, but I couldn't get it to come out the way I wanted it to. Hopefully, chapter 3 will be much better. I wanted to introduce everyone to the new characters in this chapter but it felt cringe worthy so I'll have Gwen and Juliet get to know everyone as the story progresses.
> 
> There was also a problem with the creature stalking them. I wanted something close to the Outsider from Dean Koontz's Watchers, but it didn't come out right. lol
> 
> I know some of this might be confusing, but everything will be explained as the story goes along and I'm working on a one-shot featuring Raph and Mona and another with Leo and Mei.

"Thank you for bringing this to me, Mona Lisa," Leatherhead said, placing the flash drive in a desk drawer.

"No problem. I figured since Donnie was out, I'd do it for him."

She crossed her arms and looked at Leatherhead who had turned his attention back to his work. She wanted to wait until Donatello was here, but she couldn't keep it to herself any longer. She had to tell someone her concerns.

"Leatherhead," she began. He didn't look up from his microscope, but she knew he was listening. "I need help with something and I don't know who else to talk to about it."

"What is it, my friend?"

"Uh… well, I think… I uh might be kind of, sort of… pregnant."

Leatherhead snapped up from the microscope and spun his head in her direction. He opened his jaws to say something but quickly shut them.

"Leatherhead, are you okay?"

He blinked and scratched his scaled head. "You realize you and Raphael are two different species, right? And you wouldn't be pregnant, but gravid."

Mona laughed. "I'm well aware of what we are, but I have all of the symptoms of early pregnancy. Morning sickness-which isn't just happening in the morning now-, back pains, hip pains, a heightened sense of smell, fatigue, ah… tender breasts, and sometimes I cry over the smallest things. I've gained some weight, too."

"Perhaps it's a phantom pregnancy? It isn't possible for you and Raphael to conceive a child."

She shrugged. "Nature finds a way, I guess. Please, Leatherhead, I need to know. The sooner I find out, the better chance I have of making sure I have a healthy child."

Leatherhead sighed and folded his glasses. He couldn't say no to her and she knew that. Besides, she was right. The sooner the better, though he still had trouble believing there was a chance at all. "Alright, my friend, I'll help. Just tell me what we'll need and Donatello and I will see to it."

Mona hugged the mutant crocodile and thanked him. He smiled and patted her on the head before she let go.

She heard heavy footfalls outside of the entrance to Leatherhead's home and looked over her shoulder. Her friend let out a deep growl and bared his teeth. Mona froze in place as the sound grew louder. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was Raphael.

The feeling didn't last long, however, when she saw the blood on his plastron. She rushed to Raphael's side demanding to know who did that to him. He waved her off, telling her it wasn't his blood.

"Come on, Mona, we gotta situation at the lair," Raph said. "Sorry, LH, but I need to borrow my wife."

Mona glanced over her shoulder and bid the croc goodbye before following Raph back to the lair. Leatherhead watched them go, worried about his friend's well being. If she truly were pregnant, he feared nothing good could come of it.

* * *

When they arrived, she was shocked to find a reptilian woman with reddish-brown skin, black hair, and a long thin tail, lying unconscious and bleeding on the table. Donnie had the woman's shirt rolled up and was applying an antiseptic cream on her wound. She wasn't sure what type of reptile this woman was, but that didn't matter at the moment.

"What happened?" Mona asked as she made her way to Donatello.

"Gunshot," he replied. "I managed to stop the bleeding, but I don't know how much she's lost. Should we sew her up?"

"No, it's best to bandage her and let it heal on its own. If we close the wound it could cause an infection. As long she rests and we keep the dressing cleaned, she should be okay. Let's move her to the bed and be gentle!"

"Got it," Donnie replied, taking the woman into his arms.

Because the woman's clothing was soaked in blood and would only get in the way, Mona decided to cut away the shirt. The strange woman was wearing a worn out sports bra. Mona found it odd as she had never had to wear that type of clothing; not since her mutation.

_Maybe she's more human than mutant. I'll have to make sure that the boys never get a peek at her if that's the case._

The woman's side was bandaged and wrapped. Mona and Donatello made her as comfortable as possible on the recovery bed.

The others had gathered in the training area, waiting for the news of the newcomers. Among them, Mona saw two foxes and a pale green, blonde reptilian woman. There was something familiar about the adult vixen standing next to Raph. She didn't know why, but a bit of jealousy entered Mona's heart at the sight of her. She didn't like when the fox would laugh at something he said or when she placed her paw on Raph's arm.

After a few moments passed, Mona decided to find out just who these people were and what they wanted.

Mona cleared her throat as she approached the group, getting their attention.

"Hey guys," she began, trying to hide the jealousy in her voice. "Can someone explain to me what's going on?"

Leonardo stepped forward. "These two um… turtles need our help."

She looked at the blonde who seemed to be hiding her face behind her hair. "You're turtles? You don't look like turtles."

The blonde swallowed nervously and swept some of her hair out of her face. When she spoke her voice was soft and meek. "We are turtles for the most part."

The fox spoke up then. "You'll have to be patient with Gwen, she's not used to strangers. I'm Ninjara, by the way, an old friend of the Turtles and this," she pointed to her cub. "is my daughter, Moka. I suppose it's time I told you all what's going on and why we're here."

"Come with me into the living area," Splinter said. "We will talk there."

Mei entered the room with tea and placed it on the coffee table before taking her place beside Leo and Mona.

Ninjara took a cup and began her story. "It all began a little over a year ago. I was in northern California finishing an assignment. Moka and I were camping near a creek one evening when three mutant turtles, two female and one male, stumbled onto our camp. At first, I was suspicious of them and tried to run them off, but when I saw the despair and weariness in their eyes, I knew they were no threat to me or my child. I fed them and let them stay by the fire while they told me what happened to them.

"Juliet, the one who was shot, told me of a place in the middle of the desert that held her and her friends captive. They were once human, but couldn't remember their previous lives. Both Juliet and Benvolio would have sharp pains in their heads if they tried to remember. As for Gwen, she simply can't remember. Anyway, Benvolio had discovered a way out of the facility and managed to break out with the help of Gwen and Juliet. They wandered for days until they came to our camp. After that, I decided to help them. I knew I couldn't leave them out there. So I told them of you guys and thought maybe you could help them. I wouldn't ask you about this unless it was urgent."

The Turtles exchanged concerned glances before turning to Splinter for an answer. The elderly rodent didn't hesitate to agree. "Of course. You may stay as long as you need to. We will never turn away anyone in need," Splinter said.

"You would if you knew what we are running from," a voice side behind them. They were surprised to find Juliet awake. She clutched her wound as white-hot pain spread across her side. Her legs felt like jello and her head was spinning. Mona and Donatello tried to give her support but she brushed them off.

"I'm fine," she hissed. "Tell them, Ninjara. Tell them what escaped with us." When Ninjara didn't speak, Juliet gave a frustrated sigh. "Fine, I'll tell them. We're being stalked by something man-made and horrible. We believe it was mutated from a bear or a cougar or something-" she paused and hissed as pain stabbed at her side. Mona Lisa moved closer to Juliet as the color slowly drained from her face. "I don't care what it is, but I do know that we can't face it alone. The last time we faced off with it, we were separated from Benvolio and now I believe he's dead. He was like a little brother to me and now… now…" her knees buckled and her vision went dark again. Mona and Donatello rushed forward to keep her from hitting the ground.

"She's bleeding again," Donnie pointed out.

They helped Juliet back to bed. Mona scolded the brown turtle for getting up and made her promise to not get up again. Juliet mumbled a reply, but they couldn't understand her.

"If you're turtles, then why don't you have shells?" Mikey asked Gwen.

All eyes were on Gwen, making her wish she had a shell to hide in. "Dr. Stockman said we were designed to be similar to an ancestor of the turtle. I don't remember it's scientific name though. Stockman said that shells made us slower anyway."

"Stockman?! Of course, that dismembered freak would have something to do with this," Raphael growled.

"Does the name Bishop sound familiar?" Donatello asked.

Gwen shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I don't know who that is. Maybe Juliet knows?"

"What more can you tell us about this creature following you?"

"Juliet was reminded of a bear when she saw it, but to me, it was too deformed to actually tell what it was. It's big, bigger than any bear I know of. I would say somewhere between thirteen to sixteen feet when standing on its hind legs. The fur is dark brown and mangy and the skin that shows is a dark pink. Its claws are long and razor sharp like a panther and his fangs are hooked."

"Like a yaoi gui?" Mikey butted in.

Gwen gave a puzzled look. "A what?"

"You know, those mutated bears from- Ow!" he was cut off by Raph giving him a hard smack on the head.

"Will you shut up? I'm catching second-hand embarrassment from you!" Raph said. "Sorry, Mikey was dropped while he was still an egg. It made him into a knucklehead."

Mikey rubbed the back of his head and glared at Raph. Gwen felt uncomfortable but forced a laugh. She never did have the best people skills… or maybe it was now mutant skills?

"I'm going to order some pizzas," Mikey announced.

Almost everyone in the room groaned at the idea of eating the same food for the last three days. After some convincing from Mona, Michelangelo settled on Chinese takeout. He asked Mei to help him order since he didn't know how to pronounce some of the items on the menu. She rolled her eyes but agreed.

An hour later, they gathered at the table to share food and stories. Mona had chosen a rice dish because that was easiest on her stomach. She stayed silent that night as her mate and brother-in-laws asked Ninjara a hundred and one questions.

Mona herself wanted answers as who this vulpine truly was and why the Turtles seemed to like her so much. She felt the bitter feeling of jealousy raise inside of her again and tried to ignore it. She didn't have a reason to be threatened by this woman, after all, she was Raph's wife and he knew how to behave himself… mostly.

She thought back to seven years earlier, that first year she came to live with the Turtles. Mona had overheard a conversation between Mikey and Raph. Mikey was teasing Raph about his feelings for Mona and compared her to a Ninjara. Raph became angry and told Mikey to shut up about it and never speak of her again. Mona had planned to confront Raph but felt it didn't matter and over time, she simply forgot about it.

 _I need to get over this feeling. It's petty and not good for my skin and hair._  Mona thought.

Mei had finished half of her meal, before excusing herself from the table. Leo's eyes followed her as she made her way to her bedroom. Mona noticed this and hid a grin behind a glass of cherry soda. Leo and Mei's relationship was years overdue. It was time one of them made a move and Mona knew she what she had to do to get them together.

Once dinner was over, everyone had scattered to their own corner. Leonardo went to bed early, Mei was still in her room, Mikey played video games, and Don stayed in his lab. Mona checked on Juliet while Splinter showed Ninjara, Moka, and Gwen their rooms.

"Wanna play a game," Mikey asked Mona as passed the living area, holding a second controller out to her.

"Not tonight. I'm tired and need some sleep."

"Aw, okay then," he sounded disappointed, making Mona feel bad.

"I'm sorry, little brother. Maybe another time?"

"Yeah, that's cool. Hey Mona, is Juliet going to be alright? She lost a lot of blood."

"As long as she takes it easy, she'll recover," Mona replied.

"Good. I was worried about her."

"Donnie and I will make sure she's safe," she reassured the orange masked turtle. It seemed to work because he unpaused his game and acted like he had forgotten about her. She rolled her eyes and went to her room where her warm bed and Raphael were waiting for her.

Raph didn't say anything to her went she entered the room. He was lying on the bed, ankles crossed, and hands behind his head. She walked passed him, straight to her dresser and began brushing her hair out. He watched her through the mirror while she pretended not to notice.

It was always the same with them. They fought, Raph stormed out, came back, and then they would avoid each other.

"Say what's on your mind, Raph," she said, setting the brush in a drawer.

He stayed silent for a moment, trying to gather the courage to say it. He was stubborn, so was she, but in the end, one of them always apologized.

"I'm sorry," Raph muttered.

"What was that?" Mona asked as she removed her eyeshadow. Mutant or not, she would never give up her purple eyeshadow. It was one of the few things that she kept from her days as a human.

"I said, I'm sorry," Raph said clearer.

She finished washing her face and climbed into bed next to him. "See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"

Raph gave a grunt.

"Oh stop it, I'm not mad at you anymore."

He put an arm around her and pulled her closer. "You should be. I acted like an ass."

She shrugged and laid her head on his chest. "When do you not act like an ass? I've been with you all these years, don't you think I'd be used to it by now?"

"I guess so," he replied before yawning.

"So, are you gonna tell me what was bugging you?"

He peeked open an eye. "You really wanna know?"

She nodded.

He gave tired sigh and said, "Alright, it's the fact that night after night, me and my brothers go out to make the world a little safer and we can't even get thanks for it. No one knows we exist down here and they can't know because they wouldn't understand. I just sometimes wonder what's the point of it all." He shut his eyes. "So yeah, that's what bothers me."

As she studied him, she tried to think of what to say to him. She knew what he meant and how he felt. There were times when she felt her knowledge was being wasted; that her contributions to her friends could have been better suited elsewhere, but at the end of the day, she couldn't imagine her life without the Turtles.

She shifted to her side and propped her head up on her elbow. "I know it isn't easy living down here at times and sometimes, it feels unbearable, but you don't do what you do for the thanks, you do it because as you've said, you're making the world a little safer. You do it because you want your loved ones to be safe."

"Yeah, I guess yer right," he mumbled.

She smiled and kissed him. "Aren't I always?"

"Don't let it go to yer head."

She rolled her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. It didn't take long for them both to drift off to sleep.

* * *

Gwen lied awake that night in the darkness. Across the room from her, Ninjara and Moka slept quietly side by side. She rolled to her side and stared at the wall.

She already hated the place she was staying in even though she knew she was supposed to be grateful and she was. The problem was the fact that she would forever be confined to the underground. She missed the forest and the fresh air. Down here, she wouldn't be able to explore for a long time and it thought was making her anxious.

At least down here, it was warm, but she'd rather be out in below freezing weather than a musky, damp, sewer. Okay, so the one called Donatello said that the area they lived in wasn't technically the sewer, but old and abandoned maintenance tunnels. Still, they weren't far from the sewers and that was enough to be off-putting.

 _I need to keep telling myself that down here is a lot safer than what's up there. That… thing is still out there and until it's dead I'll never be able to feel_ _safe. This place won't_ _be forever. I hope…_

Gwen shut her eyes and thought about the golden fields she used to play in as a child. As memories of the countryside came to her mind, her heart felt heavy and the tear flowed down her temples and dampened her hair.


	3. Green with Envy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Track: Dirty Paws ~ Of Monsters and Men

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another fic I've neglected for too long. Sorry folks, the inspiration just wasn't there but I started watching the 2k3 show to rejuvenate my love for the toy-tules. This is like the second rewrite of this chapter. I wanted it to be a Gwen focused one, but the dialogue between her and another character went on for too long so it's split between two other characters this time. Gwen's chapter will be saved for another time.
> 
> Next chapter I plan on having some action.
> 
> I'm gonna be honest, I have no clue as to what I'm doing with this story. I'm not used to writing with a large cast of characters. I always feel as if I'm leaving someone out but I guess sometimes that can't be avoided. I'm still working those one-shots. Mona and Raph's story is half-way complete, but Leo and Mei's(Venus) story isn't so easy.
> 
> And the creature is based off the prehistoric bear-dog.

Darkness blanketed the pasture, leaving the cattle to rely on their other senses that night. Their only source of light was the stars that glittered above them and the lone back porch light close to the farmer's house. All was peaceful for the beasts, but it wouldn't be for long. Most of the herd slept while a few stayed awake to watch over the others.

One heifer strayed from the others and made its way down the east end of the pasture. As it drew closer to the forest area, it stopped and smelled the air. A thick, musky scent overwhelmed its nostrils. It flicked its ears and listened for anything out of the ordinary. After several long moments, it heard the snapping of branches and the heavy, ragged breathing of an unknown creature. It took a few steps back, before turning away from the forest. Whatever was out there moved closer. A deep, low growl rumbled from the bushes.

The predator burst forth from the bushes and charged at the heifer. Hooves and paws thundered across the land as predator and prey played a game of chase. It tried to pick up speed, but it was no match for the thing behind it. Once it was close enough, it leaped and landed on the back of the bovine. The cow bucked and kicked, hoping to throw the powerful beast from its back but its claws dug deep into its sides. Its wounds worsened the more it fought. Blinded by instinct, the heifer couldn't understand that all its thrashing about made it worse for it.

The beast wrapped its long, muscular arms around its neck and fell to the side to bring it down. The bovine was stronger than its attacker had expected. It continued to fight for its life as the beast slashed at its sides. It was losing the fight but still kicked at the unknown creature but soon the predator overpowered its prey.

The cow's large body hit the ground hard, it finally losing its life. Swiping a tongue over its scarred and deformed muzzle, the unknown creature ate its fill.

All the lights lit up within the farmer's house. The silhouette of a man holding a shotgun swiftly moved towards the back door. The door flew open; the farmer walked down the back steps and fired off a round into the air.

The beast looked up from its meal, blood dripping from its large jaws. Its yellow eyes narrowed at the farmer.

_Humans…_

It loathed mankind with every fiber of its being. Man created it and yet man rejected it! Cast it aside and shoved it to the back to be neglected while those reptiles received all the attention. Its hackles lifted to form a hateful snarl. It stepped over its latest kill and slowly stalked over to the farmer.

The farmer couldn't see very well in the pitch blackness. The only thing he could make out was a large, shadowy mass coming towards him.

"Who's out there?" the farmer called to the figure.

The only reply he received was a low growl.

"I ain't gonna ask again! Tell me who you are or I'll shoot!"

In the eighteen years that he'd owned the farm, he'd never shot anyone. He backed up closer to the house. He could always call the police, but as it got closer, he realized this wasn't a person nor any animal he saw before. He thought maybe it was a cougar, but something was wrong with its face. He leveled his rifle at the figure, took aim, and fired. The gun boomed like thunder, waking his family inside. He knew he'd struck the creature, but it didn't faze it at all and only seemed to make it angry.

It stood tall on its hind legs, towering over the man, at which he would guess ten feet, before slamming its front legs to the ground. The farmer turned to run back inside, but the creature was faster than he realized. It had him pinned to the ground before his mind could comprehend what was happening. He was flipped over onto his back and forced to look into the yellow eyes of the deformed creature on top of him.

It opened its jaws, revealing long, razor-sharp fangs. Its equally sharp claws dug into the farmer's soft flesh. Blood trickled out of the fresh wounds making him cry out from fear and pain.

" _Die!"_  it garbled out.

_Jesus Christ, it can speak!_

Teeth sank into the man's throat and claws slashed away at him. Blood splattered the grass and soaked the soil as chunks of flesh and soft organs were ripped away from the farmer. By the time the creature began to feast on the farmer, he was dead.

* * *

Juliet groaned as she slowly came back to the real world. Where was she and what happened to her? The last thing she remembered was the tall buildings of a city and a fight with gang members. They finally made it to New York City, but she couldn't remember what happened after the fight. She wanted to get up and find Gwen and Ninjara, but as soon as she moved, pain erupted in her side. She gripped the sheets and gritted her teeth as the burning spread into her torso. The pain quickly became unbearable, making it hard for her to think properly think.

She tried to move again as panic welled inside of her. Soft hands wrapped around her wrist and a soft voice called out to her.

"Juliet, you need to stop moving!" the feminine voice said.

She opened her eyes and was greeted by a reptilian woman with brown hair and dressed in a white lab coat. Startled, Juliet tried to move away, but the pain flared again causing her to stiffen.

The lizard gave an exasperated sigh and said, "What is it with my patients not listening to me?" Her tail gave a flick and she smiled. "I'm Mona Lisa and I'm the medic here."

Juliet relaxed as the pain slowly subsided. Mona took a pair of scissors off the table and told Juliet to stay still. She listened, knowing that movement would cause another flare up. Mona snipped away the dirty bandage and removed them. Once discarded, Mona opened a ball jar of blue salve.

"This might sting a little, but you'll feel better soon after," Mona said.

Juliet winced as Mona gently press the cold salve to her wound. It stung as Mona said, but soon she began to feel its effects.

"Feel better?"

Juliet nodded.

"Good, now sit up so I can give you a fresh bandage."

It hurt to raise herself, but not as bad as it would have been without the strange cream. After applying antibiotic cream to the wound, Juliet was bandaged in no time.

"Thank you," Juliet said.

Mona's dark blue eyes brightened. "You're welcome! Now, for the next two weeks, I want you to take it easy. That means zero training. I've already had this discussion with your… sensei. She didn't seem happy about it."

Juliet gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, Ninjara doesn't like slacking off."

"Healing isn't slacking off." Mona reached into her lab coat and took out a baggie of tiny white pills. "Ninjara got antibiotic pills for you. I don't know how she got them and I don't want to know, but I'm also glad she did. Two pills morning and night every day for ten days." She placed the bag on Juliet's nightstand.

"Am I really in New York City?" Juliet asked. The moment she asked, she knew it was a dumb question.

"Yep, you're in the Big Apple. That was one hell of a welcoming party you got."

Juliet ran a hand through her hair. Despite being out for an unknown amount of time, she realized her hair was clean. Gwen must have looked after her while she was out of it. It was a comfort to know that at least she'd always Gwen by her side.

"How long have I been out?" Juliet asked.

"Oh, about two days. Your friends have been worried sick."

"Can I see them?"

Mona gave another warm smile. "Of course! I'll go fetch them."

* * *

The pizza burned the roof of her mouth but Juliet didn't care. After two days of not eating, she was starved. Okay, maybe it was longer than two days. During their time on the run, there were times when stopping for a meal wasn't possible, forcing them to go days without eating.

She swallowed a bite and wiped her mouth with a napkin as Splinter began his story. She listened closely for the next half hour as he told of their past from start to finish. It was an interesting tale, but at the same time, depressing. Twenty-seven years on this earth, protecting humanity and all they had to show for it was a home underground in old maintenance tunnels. Three times they had to relocate and twice their home was destroyed. When would they have to leave again?

If there was one shred of proof that life wasn't fair, this would be it.

"This is all so…" Juliet struggled to find the right words.

"I can understand if this overwhelming for you, Miss," Splinter said.

"It is," Juliet agreed. "and… something else that I can't explain."

Next to her, Gwen, who held Moka in her lap, pressed closer to Juliet for comfort. Juliet gave Gwen's hand a reassuring squeeze. During their time in the facility, Gwen had been the weakest of the three and yet, she was kept alive for whatever reason. Juliet was afraid to know if she were honest.

A pain pierced her heart as her mind traveled to Benvolio. The poor kid hadn't survived the journey with them. He was protective, especially of Gwen and Moka. When morale was low, he was the one to lift them up either by telling jokes or reading a chapter of  _The Outsiders_  to them every night. Now he was gone and all she had left was the yellow bandanna he wore around his neck.

She looked down at her lap as her eyes grew warm with fresh tears. After all this time she had yet to cry over her adopted little brother. Ninjara taught her early there was no room for crying when every day was a fight for survival. It was slowly starting to hit her now but even here she couldn't mourn.

To her left, the teal turtle with an orange bandanna finished off his fifth slice of pizza. What was his name? Michelangelo? Yeah, that was it. From the corner of her eye, she could see him watching her. She thought of calling him out on it, but it wasn't the right time or place to do so. Once she swallowed down the grief rising in her, she met his crystal blue gaze. He quickly looked away, focusing on Master Splinter who was still speaking. Before taking his stare off of her, she caught glimpse of concern in his eyes. Concern for what, she thought. Her? How ridiculous.

"Are you certain that… thing knows you're here?" Leonardo asked Ninjara.

"Positive. Somehow, it always knows where we are or at least where Gwen and Juliet are. I believe it to be a psychic link or it could be a really good tracker."

"Gwen, Juliet, are you able to sense when the creature is near?" Donatello asked.

Gwen and Juliet looked at each, before shaking their heads. "No," Juliet said. "He… no,  _it_ , always knows where we are though."

"Is it known for going into populated areas?"

"I don't know. We always stuck to the forest so that's where it stayed too. Going into a town wouldn't end well for us."

"I brought them here to the city because I don't think it's dumb enough to enter a highly populated area. A creature its size would stay away from civilization. That and well… we can't keep running forever," Ninjara explained. She looked down at the cub sitting on Gwen's lap and added. "I have a child to think about as well. I've lost my husband, I can't lose her too." Ninjara's eyes glistened and Juliet thought the vulpine was going to cry but instead, she straightened herself and cleared her throat. "I think you four…" she paused at the sight of Mei and corrected herself. "Five are better suited for this than I am."

"We'll do whatever it takes to protect them," Leo said.

Juliet felt dread prick at her skin. He wouldn't be saying that if he understood what they were up against, but apparently she'd already warned them and they didn't seem to listen. The very thought of others dying because of them made her anxiety press down on her chest. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"If it's alright with you, Master Splinter," Ninjara said, "I'd like to stay here a month or two to train Gwen and Juliet further. Then I'll be off."

"You know you will always have a home here," the old rat replied.

She dipped her head. "Thank you." She then turned to the blonde turtle. "Gwen, Moka, it's time for training."

The blonde and the cub followed their sensei obediently to the training area. At the mere desire to join them, pain flared in Juliet's side.

She flinched but quickly masked the pain that pulsated in her torso. Counting to ten and taking slow breaths helped ease her pain. Her gaze swept over the turtles. None of them seemed to notice except Michelangelo. Great. She didn't hate him, as she didn't know much about him, but what she did hate were people gawking at her. It didn't matter that he didn't view her as an oddity as other may have, staring was staring.

The cyan masked turtle quietly removed herself from the group, returning to her own room. Besides Juliet, Mona and Leonardo were the only ones to notice her departure from the others. Mona nudged Leo in the sides and whispered something to him. Whatever she suggested made Leo uncomfortable. Mona responded with a shake of her head and a disappointed countenance.

"Um, is it alright if I use your shower?" Juliet spoke up once the pain faded.

Mona stopped giving Leo the death stare and focused her attention on the russet turtle. "Of course and feel free to borrow my shampoo and conditioner. Just go easy on it."

After placing cellophane wrap over her wound, Juliet stepped into the shower. The warm water rushing over her was a relief. She'd spent months bathing in creeks on warmer days and by fires on colder ones. When she did have a chance to shower it was because she broke into someone's house and she had to rush or else risk getting caught. Even now, she felt as though she couldn't be at ease.

The warmth relaxed her sore muscles, giving her body much relief. She ran a soapy washcloth over her scarred body, enjoying the sharp wild cherry scent it gave off. She tried not to use a lot of shampoo but her hair came down to her lower back. Maybe she'd break down and finally cut it off. It would certainly save on time and soap.

 _Worry about one thing at a time,_  she told herself.  _Just focus on getting better and relax. He… it can't find us and even if it did track us down to the city, it wouldn't be dumb enough to enter a highly populated area._

But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, it didn't stop her wildly beating heart. Everything in her told her it wasn't going to be okay. She gritted her teeth to bite back a sob in her throat, only allowing the tears to trickle down her face.

* * *

 _Damn it, Leo!_  Mona thought as she furiously brushed her hair.  _Just once would it kill him to give Mei a little more attention? Why can't he see that he cares for her as more than just a friend? What is it with men and wanting to hide their feelings? Ugh._

It wasn't something to get worked up about but her hormones were telling her otherwise. She couldn't understand why they were being distant around each other. In past Leo and Mei were close but these last few months Mei had become a shut-in and Leo didn't speak to her much. Maybe they fought over something, but then she would have known about it. Well, whatever it was, she was going to find out and Leo's brothers were her source.

That wasn't the only issue she had. There was of course that device she, Leatherhead, and Don were working on and then Ninjara. The two barely spoke and when they did Mona couldn't help but be a little snappy toward the vulpine. She would ask Raph the moment she saw him.

As if on cue, the red-masked turtle walked into their room. She wasn't ready to confront him just yet but it was now or never.

She set her brush aside and turned in her seat.

"We're going out again," Raph said. "So don't wait up."

She crossed her arms, her tail flicked, and she narrowed her eyes. Raph knew when she did this he was in for it.

"Okay, what did I do now?" he grumbled.

"You're not going anywhere until you answer some questions for me."

He mumbled under his breath and said, "It was Mikey who ate your Nutella. I told him he was in for it but he wouldn't listen."

"Mikey ate my Nutella!" she growled.  _Focus, Mikey isn't the issue here._ No, but he will be in trouble. "That's not the point. Actually, I want to ask you about Ninjara."

He sighed and said, "We were friends once."

"That's all, just friends?" She didn't believe him and the look on her face told him so.

"Okay, so maybe more and maybe I almost... loved her but she didn't feel the same way. There, is that what you want to hear?"

He was uncomfortable with this topic and she could see that. She didn't want to pressure him further but she had to know more.

"How do you feel about her coming back after all this time? Do you still… feel something for her?"

He was growing annoyed, however, she refused to let this go.

"It's been years since I've heard from her or given her much thought. I don't feel much about her coming back. To me, it's like seeing an old acquaintance. Are ya done grillin' me or what?"

As much as she wanted to keep pestering him about it, she backed off for now. If she had to, she'd get some answers from Mikey. He was always willing to spill the beans to embarrass Raph.

"Fine, you can go, but I'm not done interrogating you. Oh, and convince Mei to go with you!"

Despite telling her not to wait up, she did anyway. Splinter turned in early, leaving her alone. She thought of conversing with Juliet who was still sleeping in the infirmary but the darker reptile needed her rest. TV bored her, she'd read all the books in the lair, and nothing interesting was on YouTube.

She made herself a cup of green tea and took her place at the table. A bored sigh escaped her as she rested her head on her hand. For the first time, she wished she were a fighter so she wouldn't be kept away down here. The only time she could to leave was when she had Raph or Donnie with her. It wasn't as if she were forbidden but she felt safer with someone else with her.

"Can't sleep either?"

Ninjara had entered the kitchen silently without Mona's knowledge. She was surprised she didn't detect the vixen. Having lived with the turtles all these years, she could tell when one of them was sneaking up on her or hiding in a room, especially Mikey. Years of living with her orange-clad brother in law, built up her immunity to jump scares.

"I didn't hear you come in here," Mona said.

Ninjara took a seat across from her. "You don't mind if I join you?"

Mona shrugged. "If you want." She kept her gaze focused on her cup. The last thing she wanted to do was talk with this woman.  _Why am I being like this? Jealousy is not a good look on me._

"Do you find me threatening?" Ninjara bluntly asked.

Mona looked up her mug, unsure how to answer that. A few moments passed as she tried to think of something to say.

"No," she finally said. "I don't."

The vulpine twitched her ears and crossed her arms on the table. "Then why don't you like me?"

Shame washed over Mona. She looked into the fox's amber eyes and didn't know what to say. In all honesty, she didn't hate Ninjara, but…  _admit it, your jealous of this woman when you really shouldn't be._

"I want you to know what Raph and I had was brief. Nothing much could come of it when the world was in danger," Ninjara said.

The world was in danger? That didn't surprise her at all, but now her interest was peaked. "When you say the world was in danger, what do you mean by that?"

Before she could answer, Ninjara rose from her chair and said she'd make tea first. Minutes later, she came back with a kettle and placed it on the table.

"Now, I can tell you my tale. I should start before I met Raphael. Years ago, I lived on an island off the coast of Japan inhabited by others like me. My people are natural fighters who study in the art of ninjutsu. At that time I was known as Umeko and I was one of the most skilled among my clan. I was often chosen to go on the most dangerous assignments because I never failed." Pride shined in her amber eyes, but the next memory quickly erased any positive feelings she had. "Eventually, I grew bored and wanted more. I became greedy and I took on an assignment from a group you may know well as the Foot. My last assignment was assassinating an important figure in Tokyo." Her ears flattened in shame and she took a long sip of tea. "I was successful," she said, setting her cup down.

"I'll withhold judgment for now," Mona said cooly.

"Thank you," Ninjara replied softly. "I proved my worth to them and they invited me to join them. Our leader gave me an ultimatum: If I join the Foot, then I was banished from the island. Because of this, I declined the Foot's offer, but it was never the same again. My people never saw me the same again and in their eyes, I dishonored them. I received many wounds but nothing cut deeper than seeing the disappointment in my mother's eyes."

"But that's not right! You chose your people over the Foot," Mona said. "If they expected you to stay it doesn't make sense for them to turn away from you."

The vixen shook her head. "It isn't always that simple. I betrayed their trust and nothing I could do was going to regain it. So I left in the night in shame, moving to a small village in rural Japan, and changing my name to Ninjara. I lived there for two years before the Ninja Tribunal came for me. It was there, I met the Turtles."

"And that's when you grew close to Raphael?" Mona asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"Yes. There were eight of us they called the acolytes. The four turtles, me, and three humans. Out of all of us, I was considered the least trustworthy, the odd one out. I was seen as a demon of sorts by the humans. The only one who really talked to me was Raphael. We trained together often by day and wandered off to be alone by night."

Mona pretended to take a drink from her cup. By then the bitter liquid was depleted. She knew it wasn't wise to ask, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"Were you... intimate?" Her cheeks burned the moment she asked.

Ninjara's ears twitched and she giggled. "Oh my god, no. I… cared deeply for him but I couldn't bring myself to do something like that. I didn't have any… experience you see because my people mate for life. I'm sure he wanted to but…" she paused, seeing Mona's hand quickly fly to her mouth. "Are you alright?"

Mona slowly nodded. "Can you excuse me?"

She pushed herself from the table and made a mad dash to the bathroom. After losing the contents of her stomach, she rinsed her mouth and joined Ninjara back in the kitchen.

"Better?" The fox asked.

Mona nodded. "I think so."

"I didn't upset you?"

"No," the reptilian woman replied. "I'm not well at the moment, but nothing contagious. Please continue."

Ninjara gave Mona a concerned look before continuing her story. "After we destroyed the demon Shredder, I stayed in New York a little longer, but Raph wasn't what I was looking for. He was too hot-headed even though he was gentle with me. I could sense the anger within him and I knew the city could never be my home. So I left in search of something more." she scoffed and said, "I aided in saving the world but I still felt empty inside. I still felt like a traitor to my own people."

"It doesn't seem as if you were a traitor."

"But I was. Leaving the island for your own reasons is seen as traitorous. After leaving New York, I traveled to the Midwest. It was during my time in South Dakota that I was shot by a hunter. When I awoke I found myself in a cave being tended to an elder she-wolf. I learned their people lived in secret and were protected by the Sioux people. Once I recovered I began to repay their kindness and it was during that time I caught the eye of their tribal leader, Mokosan." She smiled at the memory then her eyes glistened. "I didn't set out to fall in love but… he had a way about him. We were a mated pair by the fall and in the spring I gave birth to our daughter. We were happy and then… then he was taken from me by a cowardly sniper." She sniffled and wiped away a single tear that threatened to fall.

Mona felt a strong sense of sympathy for this woman. She couldn't imagine losing Raph. Every time he went out she worried it would be the last time she'd see him. She reached out and touched Ninjara's paw. The vixen froze at her touch but then relaxed.

"I'm sorry about your husband."

Ninjara gave a sad smile. "Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, well…" she couldn't find the find the right words.

"It's late," Ninjara said withdrawing her hand. "You need to be resting. Soon you'll be missing sleeping through the night."

Mona gave her a puzzled look.

"You're pregnant, are you not?"

The reptile swallowed thickly and nodded. "I'm not one-hundred percent sure but in a few days I'll know with this sonogram machine I'm fixing."

Ninjara chuckled. "You don't need a machine to tell you that. A woman knows and don't worry, your secret's safe with me." With that, Ninjara retired to her room for the night.

Mona was left alone once again, suddenly longing for the fox to stay and visit with her a little longer. The jealousy she felt only an hour earlier was then replaced with guilt. She reminded herself that envy was petty and beneath her. First love trumps over all other love, that's what her grandma used to say and she believed for a while.

 _And what would you do if your first love came waltzing back into your life? Would you leave Raph for him?_ A voice chided. Well, no, of course not. She felt nothing for that man and couldn't even remember his name.

With nothing else to do, she decided to try and catch some shut eye. Ninjara was right, she would miss a good night's rest. Two more days and she'd know for certain. The only problem was going to be Raphael's reaction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, not my best, but I tried D:. As you can see I changed Ninjara's backstory to fit in with the 2k3 series and replaced Joi with her as I can sort of see the Tribunal using Ninjara to aid in stopping Tengu Shredder.


End file.
